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VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 42

OPINION

MOUNTAINFILM

WRESTLING

OPINION PAGE 3

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

Opinion columnist Emerson Slomka discusses CRISPR and the future of gene-editing.

Film Appreciation Club hosts Mountainfilm film festival.

The Panthers wrestle in the Big 12 championship.

UNI cancels international travel, COVID-19 ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

In less than four months, the term “coronavirus” has become a household name.

And even without any confirmed cases in Iowa, the virus has already made a significant impact on the UNI community.

Last week, students and faculty received notice that all university-sponsored international

travel would be suspended in the wake of the coronavirus — first for the next 30 days and then, in a subsequent announcement, for all summer 2020 study abroad courses.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has now spread to every continent except Antarctica. It is a respiratory disease similar to influenza, transmitted COURTESY PHOTO/Tiribune News Service

through droplets from coughing or sneezing or by touching infected surfaces. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. As of March 8, according to WHO, 105,586 cases have been confirmed worldwide, with upwards of 200 cases confirmed in the United States.

Travel restrictions from the UNI administration occurred in stages, following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In January, the CDC designated mainland China as “Level 3 — Avoid Nonessential Travel.” At that time, UNI issued a temporary moratorium on university-sponsored travel to China and recalled all students, faculty and staff there.

The moratorium was extended to South Korea on February 29, Italy on March 2 and Iran on March 3, as the CDC raised those countries to Level 3. Students in the UNI Camp

Adventure program were also recalled or transferred from affected areas.

The situation escalated on Thursday, March 5, when the Iowa Board of Regents issued a statement for all three of Iowa’s public universities.

“Safety of our campus communities is a paramount concern for the Board of Regents,” the Board wrote. “Based on [the] most recent guidance from the CDC and IDPH [Iowa Department of Public Health], as well as the quickly evolving impact of the COVID-19, the Board of Regents is cancelling all university-sponsored international travel for all faculty, staff and students for 30 days (including spring break) effective immediately.”

UNI President Mark Nook released this information in an email to the campus community and indicated his approval of the Board’s decision.

“Although the decision to temporarily cancel international travel may be disappointing, we

agree it is in the best interests of our campus at this time,” Nook wrote.

Students expressed surprise and disappointment at the news on Thursday.

“I did not expect this. The most I was probably expecting was quarantine coming back, at most,” said Aidan Shorey, a freshman music education major and euphonium player with the Wind Ensemble. The group was scheduled to travel to Germany, Paris and Belgium during spring break.

Fellow Wind Ensemble member Mack Vos, a senior music technology and interactive digital studies double major, agreed.

“We were being warned […] that it might happen, but we didn’t think it was going to be a huge concern,” he said.

“I’m not looking forward to next Monday during [Wind Ensemble] rehearsal. It’s going to be a downer.”

See CORONAVIRUS, page 2

Arch Madness, Panthers fall to Drake COLIN HORNING

Sports Editor

Having clinched the number one overall seed in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in St. Louis and regular-season title, the UNI Panther men’s basketball team were the heavy favorites coming into Arch Madness on Friday. A season filled with accolades, accomplishments and overall success was put to a halt by in-state rivals Drake at the Enterprise Center, causing a shake-up in the conference tournament and changing the overall layout of bracketologists around the college basketball world. Just six days earlier, the Panthers came into the Knapp Center in Des Moines and crushed the Bulldogs by 27 points. But as the saying goes, it’s hard to beat a team three times. UNI learned that the hard way on Friday, as they fell by 21 points to Drake, 77-56, and were knocked out of the MVC tournament seem-

ingly just as fast as it began.

Almost immediately, the Panthers found themselves in a hole. After scoring the first basket of the game from an Isaiah Brown pull-up jump shot, Drake responded with 3 three-pointers on three consecutive possessions to open up a 9-2 lead. The Bulldogs shot a blazing 60% from three-point range and 59% overall from the field and led by as many as 17 points in the first half. A mini UNI run cut the deficit to 10 points going into halftime, as the Panthers trailed 43-33.

An 11-3 run within the first four minutes of the second half saw the Panthers cut into the Drake lead, pulling them within two. An Austin Phyfe layup at the 12:36 mark of the second half cut the Bulldog lead to 50-48 and the momentum seemed to be in UNI’s favor. However, three times Northern Iowa had come within two points, but couldn’t seem to get over the hump.

Following Phyfe’s lay-in,

Drake guard Roman Penn took over the game. Penn scored 14 of the next 16 Drake points, with the other two coming off a Liam Robbins layup assisted

by Penn. UNI did not score for nearly 10 minutes of play during this stretch, with their next basket coming around 2:30 remaining off of an Isaiah Brown three-pointer. But by this point, Drake had all but put away the tournament’s top-seeded team.

“I felt like there were some plays at the offensive end we didn’t execute, some of the things at the end of offensive possessions as well as we have, and it didn’t feel like we blocked out,” said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson.

Looking ahead to the NCAA tournament, there is much speculation about the Panthers’ fate. Many analytics had UNI as a potential 10 or 11 seed in the tournament, but all coming with the assumption that they would win the MVC tournament or at least

COURTESY PHOTO

win one or two games in Arch Madness. The first-round loss adds much uncertainty to their fate.

The Panthers have a decent resume to pitch to the selection committee, with their NET ranking coming around 45 and a solid true road win against a top-25 team in Colorado. ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi initially had the Panthers still in the tournament following

Friday’s loss, but has since moved them to the outside looking in following some other shake-ups in conference tournaments around the country. The Panthers and their fans will have to wait and see if the selection committee will favor the team after the unexpected outcome of Arch Madness until Sunday, March 15, when the March Madness bracket will be announced on CBS.

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MARCH 9, 2020 |

NEWS

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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The Board’s statement applied only through April 4, and Vos and Shorey said that they had received word that their trip might be rescheduled for May. However, UNI’s COVID-2019 task force, comprised of representatives from various areas of campus such as Public Safety, Academic Advising and the Office of International Programs, made the subsequent decision to cancel all UNI summer study abroad courses and international travel.

The news was released to affected students and faculty on Thursday evening and to the general campus community on Friday, March 6.

“Based on multiple conversations, including with the Study Abroad office, Deans, and the Board of Regents office, we have made the decision to cancel our study abroad courses for the coming summer,” wrote Provost Jim Wohlpart in the March 6 general campus email.

At this time, the University of Iowa and Iowa State University have not cancelled summer programs. Wohlpart explained in his email that, unlike the other two state universities, UNI’s study abroad programs do not use outside vendors, creating a very different financial situation. By cancelling early, the task force hoped to minimize the financial and academic risks.

“Canceling now mitigates the financial impact on all parties involved,” Paula Van Zee, Study Abroad Center director, wrote in an email to affected students on Friday, March 6. “It also allows the university to make alternate academic plans. If cancel-

ation were to occur closer to the start of May term, this would have been extremely challenging and risked many students not fulfilling graduation requirements.”

For students who need a capstone or other credits this summer to graduate, alternative courses will be created by the deans, department heads and faculty.

Although students were initially told that their $100 study abroad application fee would not be refunded, they received notice in a subsequent email that they would in fact receive a full refund.

Students will also not be charged for items that would have appeared on their U-Bill in May, such as tuition, fees, insurance and program costs.

“We are absorbing the costs that we have already paid to vendors abroad on students’ behalves,” Van Zee wrote.

Katie Hopping, a junior communication and public relations major, was enrolled in a June capstone course in Italy. She said she appreciates that the administration and Study Abroad Center are absorbing the financial ramifications.

“It’s a lot of money that they are in loss of,” she said.

“They’re not making us pay a lot of things that we could have paid. I want to put the Study Abroad [Center] in a positive light. They care about us and they’re just looking out for the students.”

Italy, Hopping’s destination, has become an epicenter of the coronavirus, with more than 5,800 cases confirmed as of March 8, according to WHO. The Italian government has recently announced its decision to quarantine much of northern Italy,

affecting nearly 16 million people, until early April.

With those sobering statistics in mind, Hopping is relieved that the university made the decision to cancel.

She said that, had the trip proceeded as scheduled, she would have been nervous about the potential health risks and conflicted about whether to go.

For students traveling to countries without such high reports of the virus, however, the ban on all international travel is harder to take.

“It does feel a little overblown to me,” Vos said. “With where we were going it would have been fine. If we were going to Italy or something, that would’ve been completely different.”

“It’s not that bad of a virus,” Shorey said. “Yeah, there’s no vaccine for it, but the flu’s worse.”

NORTHERN IOWAN

EDITORIAL STAFF

CIRCULATION

CORONAVIRUS

continued from page 1

L011 Maucker Union Cedar Falls, IA 50614 www.northerniowan.com northern-iowan@uni.edu 319.273.2157

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SIERRA STEEN Managing Editor steens@uni.edu 319.939.8190

GABI CUMMINGS

Art Director cummigaa@uni.edu CECILIA MITCHELL Campus Life Editor ceciliam@uni.edu COLIN HORNING Sports Editor chorning@uni.edu ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor kelseye@uni.edu

ELIZABETH KELSEY

Based on multiple conversations [...] we have made the decision to cancel our study abroad courses for the coming summer.

Jim Wohlpart Provost

The university recognizes the disappointment faced by students planning on study abroad experiences and has reiterated that the task force gave significant thought to its decision.

“This decision was not made lightly and was done with the best interest of the

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PRODUCTION STAFF SIERRA STEEN Webmaster Graphic Artist

KARLA DE BRUIN

Associate Managing Editor

KARINA VALDIVIA

Business/Desk Assistant

LAUREN MCGUILL Desk Assistant

News Editor

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 42 students and the institution in mind,” Wohlpart wrote. “[W]e have a remarkable group of dedicated, intelligent, wise, and caring leaders working on this. It has consumed many of them, and I would ask that you show your appreciation for their efforts as well. We are in good hands.”

The threat of coronavirus remains low for the general Iowa and campus populations, but the university is taking steps to prepare for more extreme measures. In a March 3 message posted on prepare.uni.edu, the university website developed to house information related to the coronavirus, Wohlpart described UNI’s preparations for the unlikely event of a campus shutdown. “[O]ne of the more extreme impacts [of the coronavirus] could be the need to close campus to a physical presence,” Wohlpart wrote.

“For both the near term and the far term, Information Technology and Distance and Continuing Education are proactively working on resources to support faculty in making a potential shift to the remote delivery of instruction. This includes expansion of services, support for course-specific software needs, and resources for multiple forms of remote delivery.”

Wohlpart emphasized that these contingency measures are unlikely and that there is no need for immediate concern. As of now, students and faculty should practice good personal hygiene by washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick. The university will continue to provide updates through email com-

The Northern Iowan is published semi-weekly on Monday and Thursday during the academic year, except for holidays and examination periods, by the University of Northern Iowa, L011 Maucker Union, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0166 under the auspices of the Board of Student Publications.

Advertising errors that are the fault of the Northern Iowan will be corrected at no cost to the advertiser only if the Northern Iowan office is notified within seven days of the original publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at any time.

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munication and prepare.uni. edu. Students may also contact the Health Center or the Study Abroad Center with questions.

In addition, a panel of experts from UNI and the Black Hawk County Health Department will discuss the coronavirus and the county and university’s plan to combat its spread at 3 p.m.

Wednesday, March 11 in Lang Hall Auditorium.

The panel will include health, recreation and community services professors Catherine Zeman and Michele Devlin, as well as Shelley O’Connell, director of Health and Recreation Services. Also present will be Black Hawk County Health Department disease surveillance and investigation manaer Joshua Pikora and epidemiologist Aaron Reinke.

Students and community members are invited to submit questions for the panel by filling out the form at docs.google.com/ forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1Rl2Cihfx3TPVp2w3bWDewBV-9-a4r4ApOjNDcST0YF4qcg/viewform.

For now, students like Vos, Shorey and Hopping are doing their best to adjust to the disappointment and make plans.

Hopping said that she is ultimately grateful to the UNI administration for their proactivity in protecting students and faculty.

“I appreciate that they’re putting students’ safety first, even though it’s disappointing that we can’t go,” she said.

“I know a lot of students are disappointed, but I think that UNI strive[s] to have their students safe, and they’re putting that into action, and I appreciate that.”

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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PAGE 3

OPINION

GABRIELLE LEITNER Executive Editor

MARCH 9, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 116, ISSUE 42

Disclaimer: The opinions featured in The Northern Iowan do not reflect the views of The Northern Iowan staff as a whole.

CRISPR and the future of gene-editing EMERSON SLOMKA

Opinion Columnist

Since its discovery in 1993, the CRISPR family of DNA sequences has made headlines on a near-constant basis, cited as a revolutionary development in gene technology. With CRISPR returning to headlines this past month with an ambitious application-- the first human trial in a potential cure for genetic blindness — one has to wonder: what is CRISPR and what’s so significant about it?

As previously mentioned, CRISPR is a family of DNA sequences. Found in bacteria and archaea (a domain of single-celled organisms once thought to be bacteria), CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (a palindrome is a sequence that reads the same forward or backward). CRISPR contains a protein known as Cas9, which has the ability to bind to and cut strands of DNA,

editing them by removing, adding or changing segments, a process known as gene editing. In bacteria, this is used as a factor in their adaptive immune systems; This was demonstrated first in 2007 when scientists at Danisco conducted an experiment on S. thermophilus, the bacteria used to ferment milk in order to make yogurt and cheese.

They observed that bacteriophage (viruses that infect bacteria) infection caused alteration of CRISPR, allowing the bacteria to better resist the viruses. CRISPR isn’t only useful to bacteria, however, as researchers soon realized that by reprogramming CRISPR, it could seek out and alter genes in humans as well.

This month, CRISPR was used in the human body for the first time. A patient with Leber congenital amaurosis, a genetic disease that causes gradual loss of vision and eventual blindness, received an injection of a CRISPR-

containing drug (known as AGN-151587) in their retina; doctors hope that CRISPR will successfully enter the cells and correct the mutated gene, possibly resulting in an eventual regain of vision — a one-hour procedure that could change the patient’s (and millions of others suffering from genetic diseases) life. Since CRISPR’s edits are permanent, a successful treatment would require only one procedure. It may take up to a month for the patient’s sight to be restored and, if successful, the procedure will be carried out on 18 other individuals with the condition.

Naturally, the potential applications of CRISPR gene editing are seemingly endless. Most medical conditions with a genetic component (such as cancer) may be edited out of one’s genes, and there’s a nearly 100% chance that this edit will be passed onto offspring. However, this is also a source of criticism — the possibility of perma-

Pexels

Opinion Columnist Emerson Slomka discusses CRISPR and the future of gene-editing in medicine.

nently altering the human race is rightfully unnerving, often prompting a response related to the term “designer babies”— babies who are genetically-modified to exhibit or lack certain traits.

Supporters argue that eliminating diseases is inherently good and the main goal of modern medicine, while critics argue that genetic modification is eugenic in nature;

the idea of “genetically superior” and “genetically inferior” people definitely has the ability to conjure an image of Nazi Germany. However, it is impossible to determine the future of gene editing and CRISPR treatment as of right now, and whether or not your local fertility clinic will start offering a menu with a plethora of genetic options.

Wellness Services: stay safe this spring break Editor’s Note: The following guest column was submitted by Student Wellness Services.

Whether you’re planning on vacationing somewhere tropical or stay-cationing in Cedar Falls, consider making a spring break safety checklist this March to ensure you are able to have a fun and safe time away from classes!

Student Wellness Services has highlighted ideas pertaining to alcohol, sexual health, friends and phone safety to pay extra attention to this spring break.

What will you add to your personal safety checklist?

Alcohol If you choose not to include drinking in your plans, you are not alone! In fact, 1 in 3 UNI students choose not to drink alcohol according to the 2019 National College Health Assessment. However, if you choose to drink, consider these safety measures: If you plan to drink, maintain your buzz and avoid regrets/poor decisions by staying in your “sweet spot.” Follow these sweet spot tips: • Set a limit on how many standard drinks you will have and keep track. BAC calculators like the one found at alcohol. org/bac-calculator are great options to estimate where your BAC is so you can plan effectively.

• Pace drinks to one or less per hour.

• Choose drinks that contain less alcohol by volume.

Make a plan outlining your personal limits! Think about how much alcohol you want to consume if you choose to drink, how you will get a safe ride, and how to obtain protection if you choose to engage in sex.

Never leave your drink unattended. If you lose sight of it, get a new one!

Know the potential risks and consequences of drinking underage. Underage drinking can lead to long-term effects in brain development, criminal records, fines for UNI and/or the criminal system, and other legal problems.

Avoid mixing alcohol with other drugs (legal or illegal).

• Mixing alcohol and drugs could lead to dangerous reactions and increases your risk of alcohol overdose. In addition, alcohol can make a medication less effective or even useless, or it may make the medication toxic to your body.

• If you are taking a prescription medication, such as anti-anxiety or anti-depression drugs, alcohol may affect you differently than it has in the past. If you are planning to consume alcohol, make sure you first speak with your doctor to best understand how alcohol and your medication will interact.

• It’s difficult to know exactly how marijuana will affect you every time you use it. When mixed with alcohol, it may cause nausea, vomiting, panic, anxiety, paranoia, or other psychotic symptoms, according to

the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Take the Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO online assessment before spring break to receive personalized feedback about your alcohol use. Get started here: aodeducation.uni.edu.

If you see the following signs of alcohol overdose, call 911 for help: • Cold, clammy skin / pale or bluish skin • Unconscious / semi-conscious • Prolonged vomiting / very rapid or very slow pulse • Slow, shallow or irregular breathing/seizures Panthers take care of one another. We encourage students to seek medical or professional help for someone who needs it. In turn, students who seek medical assistance for themselves or another person, due to intoxication of alcohol and/or other drugs may not be held accountable through the student conduct process. The student(s) may be required to complete an educational sanction, but not further conduct action. Questions about the Good Samaritan Provision?

Visit the Dean of Students Staff in Gilchrist 118 or call 319-273-2332.

Sexual Health If you plan on engaging in sexual activity while you are away, make sure you think about your personal boundaries and the safety measures you will take.

Consider the following ideas to

include in your sexual health safety checklist:

Get yourself tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The Student Health Clinic offers free chlamydia and gonorrhea testing.

Stock up on protection BEFORE you go! Visit the following website to have safer sex supplies discreetly delivered to your door for FREE: https:// www.myiacondoms.org/condom-locator or visit the Student Health Center to make a FREE safer sex kit.

Avoid mixing sex with alcohol and/or other drugs. When alcohol is involved, it’s difficult to make safe sexual health decisions. Partners are more likely to be careless when using a condom, causing it to break or slip, or they might have sex without using a condom.

Make consent your top priority this spring break by ensuring you and your partner have a consensual conversation that is clear, coherent, willing, and ongoing. People incapacitated by drugs or alcohol cannot consent.

Friends Be extra intentional about who you surround yourself with over spring break. Consider these ideas as you select friends to spend your spring break with!

Keep an eye on your friends and agree to watch out for each other. Go out with a group of

people you trust and leave with the group you came with!

Create a code word between you and your friends so that you can alert each other if anything feels off.

Be an active bystander and intervene if you notice someone who may be in a risky situation.

When using Uber or Lyft, make sure to ride with a group you trust, never ride alone, and do not share the ride service with people you do not know.

Phone Safety Phones can be your helpful sidekick over spring break if you use them wisely! Use these tips to ensure you’re using your phone most effectively and safely: Always bring your phone fully-charged when you go out.

Make sure someone you trust knows your plans so they can check in with you often.

Think twice about posting your location! Sharing too much information can put your safety at risk!

Update your phone contacts!

Start a group chat to easily tell others where you’re going so they’ll know where you are at all times.

Need additional ideas to stay safe and entertained this spring break? Check out this link: uni.edu/resources/campuslife!

Whatever you decide, be intentional about creating your own personal safety checklist! What will you add to yours? #DIFY

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CAMPUS LIFE

CECILIA MITCHELL Campus Life Editor

‘Mountainfilm’ comes to UNI MARCH 9, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 116, ISSUE 42

tured breathtaking shots of a daring snowboarder, eliciting gasps of awe from the audience.

Other films showcased were more narrative-heavy, such as Ben Knight and Travis Rummel’s “Life of Pie” documenting how partners Jen Zeuner and Anne Keller created a mountain biking community through their restaurant Hot Tomato Cafe. The film was a favorite of the evening for Laura Roman Jimenez, a senior finance and religion major who is involved with the Green Project.

“It just seemed like that was the kind of life you want to live,” she said. “Just surrounded by your loved ones, inspiring others, doing stuff outdoors, making food. Like, oh my gosh, that really is the dream.”

Audrey Buchanan’s “The Mystery of Now” told the story of Douglas Miles Sr. bringing revival to the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona through his organization

Apache Skateboards. In “Detroit Hives,” a 2019 Mountainfilm Commitment Grant recipient, directors Palmer Morse and Rachel Weinberg follow the efforts of a Detroit, Mich., non-profit to counter urban blight by converting vacant lots into havens for honeybees.

The variety of topics addressed demonstrated how the festival has evolved since its inception in 1979, when all of the films screened shared one commonality: mountains. “[Mountainfilm] started mostly as a climbing festival,” Milord said. “Over the years, it’s really grown to be one that shares the exceptional films showcasing not only the adventure or outdoors or climbing, but cultural, political and social justice issues as well.”

Still, the second-to-last film of the evening returned to Mountainfilm’s roots. The Taylor Keating and Cedar Wright-directed “Queen Maud Land” followed prominent climbers as they conquered

daunting rock spires in remote Antarctica. Despite being the longest feature of the evening with a running time of nearly half an hour, audiences were captivated as athletes supported each other through extreme conditions.

For many audience members like Hannah Luce, Friday was their first time attending a Film Club event. Luce, a second-year student majoring in leisure, youth and human services, said she enjoyed each one of the films.

“I feel like they were all impactful in their completely unique ways,” she said. “Like the last film, ‘Danny Daycare,’ was just like a super fun way to inspire youth to partake in the outdoors, especially mountain-[biking]. And there’s also ‘Women in Fire’ and that was amazing to see the feminist attitudes in fire-fighting and stuff like that.”

Directed by Tim Kressin, “Women in Fire” featured several women proving themselves

in the historically male-dominated field of firefighting. It ranked among the top films of the evening for several attendees, including Film Club Vice President Mariah Piipo.

Piipo, who is a senior majoring in math, art history and studio art, said she hoped those in attendance left with a greater appreciation for the artistry of film, as well as the beauty of nature, the environment and one’s surroundings.

“It felt like every movie had beautiful backdrops. Even though some of them took place — like one took place in Detroit, it was still beautiful.

Just because of the way they looked at it: wide angles and just taking in everything at once,” she said. “It kinda makes you take that deep breath, and it’s just really beautiful. And I hope everyone can appreciate that in their day-to-day lives.”

UNI student Danny Jacobo’s biggest takeaway from the evening was a little bit different.

“Just do what you wanna do […] that’s really what I got from it,” said Jacobo, a sophomore studying family services.

“That’s all they were doing.

They had this vision and they went for it, or they had this goal or common goal or really just didn’t have a goal — they were just living life and just really making the best of it.”

Mountainfilm takes place in Telluride, Colo., every Memorial Day weekend; information about the festival and tour stops can be found at mountainfilm.org. For those seeking more cinematic experiences on campus, Film Club hosts a weekly film screening and discussion in Kamerick 111 on Fridays at 7 p.m. Piipo also shared that club would be screening all 13 hours of the “Lord of the Rings” extended editions on Saturday, March 28.

uation checks from record analysts. These checks inform students if they’ve met all degree requirements. Applications for graduation will be available to fill out, as well as the commencement ceremony reply. Students can also verify and update their home address and primary name to ensure diplomas are sent to the right location.

The Office of Career Services will be offering résumé critiques and professional job search assistance. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will be offering information regarding loan repayment and exit counseling.

The UNI bookstore will be selling caps and gowns at the event and offering discounts for attendees. Discounts are as follows:

Bachelor Package + Commemorative Tassel: $46.98 (regularly $52.98) Master Package + Commemorative Tassel: $92.98 (regularly $98.98) Doctor Package + Commemorative Tassel: $140.98 (regularly $146.98) Bachelor Package + Commemorative Tassel + Classic Diploma Frame: $192.98 (regularly $212.98) Master Package + Commemorative Tassel + Classic Diploma Frame: $238.98 (regularly $258.98)

package information. Courtesy of Production House, students will also have the opportunity to record a message to thank friends and family for supporting them. Messages will be shown on the McLeod Screen before commencement begins.

The UNI Alumni Association will not be in attendance this year to promote the Traditions Challenge. The Traditions Challenge is a list of traditions for UNI students to participate in. The list includes locations for students to visit and activities to participate in.

Students who complete 25 challenges will receive a pin, and those who complete 45 challenges will earn a pin and medallion to wear at graduation. To document their progress, students should take pictures after com-

pleting an activity. After downloading a presentation, students can put their photos of completed traditions on their designated slides. The presentation, the Traditions Challenge list and additional information can be found at https://unialum.org/ traditions.

Refreshments will be served at the Graduation Fair.

A few days after the fair, students who attended can fill out a survey for a chance to win prizes, including a diploma frame.

Additional information and a Graduation Fair checklist can be found at https:// registrar.uni.edu/g raduation-and-commencement/ graduation-fair. Questions can be directed to registrar@ uni.edu or 319-273-2241.

SOFIA LEGASPI

Staff Writer

Mountainfilm on Tour stopped at UNI on Friday evening, March 6 in the Kamerick Art Building.

Celebrating its 41st year, the annual festival based in Telluride, Colo., is one of the longest-running film festivals in the United States, according to its website.

“We are way more than just a documentary film festival,” said Kristen Milord, a Mountainfilm representative who emceed Friday’s event.

“We are a five-day, six-theater festival where artists, athletes and authors all come together — and activists as well — come together to share stories and ideas to make this world a better place, which is part of our mission statement.”

Short films from the festival are selected to tour over 200 locations on six different continents.

This marked Mountainfilm’s second year visiting UNI. Hosted by the Film Appreciation Club in collaboration with the Philosophy Club and the Green Project, Friday’s event showcased ten short films featuring community, adventure and passion. Film Club President Hunter Friesen recognized his executive team, the organization’s advisor, as well as its founder Clinton Olsasky and former president Nicole Baxter in making the event possible.

Some of the films were notable for their stunning visuals, such as Scott Secco’s “Perspectives: India featuring Micayla Gatto,” taking viewers on a journey through Indian landscape and culture through the eyes of a mountain-biker.

Another film titled “Cowboy” directed by Clayton Vila fea-

SOFIA LEGASPI/Northern Iowan

UNI’s Film Appreciation Club, Philosophy Club and Green Project cohosted the second annual Mountainfilm on Tour event on Friday, March 6 in the Kamerick Art Building.

Commence towards graduation this Wednesday

SARA QUALLEY

Staff Writer

UNI students graduating this spring and summer are invited to attend the Graduation Fair on March 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m in the Maucker Union ballrooms.

The Graduation Fair website shares, “The Graduation Fair is an event that provides graduating students the opportunity to meet with a variety of offices on campus in one centralized location to make the graduation process more convenient.

Students that will be graduating at the end of the term are encouraged to attend in order to be prepared for graduation and commencement.”

The Office of the Registrar will be at the event to offer grad-

Students can have their pictures taken in their caps and gowns by Flash Photography.

Those interested in purchasing their portrait will be emailed by Flash Photography with photo

PAGE 5 CECILIA MITCHELL Campus Life Editor

CAMPUS LIFE

UNI English alumni roundtable event discusses library careers MARCH 9, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 116, ISSUE 42

ANNA ALLDREDGE Staff Writer

On Friday, March 6 at 2 p.m., several UNI English program alumni returned to campus to discuss their work in community and academic libraries. This roundtable event was held in Bartlett Hall 1017 and students considering futures in library science were encouraged to attend. Nearly every seat was occupied for this talk by both students and faculty interested in learning about alumni experiences in librarianship.

The talk featured former students Jessica BamfordLove, circulation assistant at the Cedar Falls Public Library, Alissa Cornick, youth librarian at the Des Moines Public Library and Zach Lowe, library specialist and circulation lead at the Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny campus. The three were introduced by UNI Professor Jim O’Loughlin, who also helped to facilitate the discussion.

Lowe, Cornick and BamfordLove spoke from their experiences on a variety of topics in the field of library science, including career and day to day challenges, community impacts and the difference between having or not having a Masters in Library Science.

“I enjoy working with students who are excited to learn and utilize our services,” Lowe said. He noted that a lot of

ANNA ALLDREDGE/Northern Iowan

UNI alumni Zach Lowe, Alissa Cornick and Jessica Bamford-Love (L-R) discussed careers in libraries at a roundtable discussion hosted by Professor Jim O’Loughlin (far right) on Friday, March 6.

energy is focused on making sure students are aware of library resources, including research databases, ebooks and various streaming services.

To Bamford-Love, engaging with the community is necessary in working at a library.

“You need to have a great desire to engage with your community,” she said. Bamford-Love said that one of the best aspects of her job is being able to make a difference in the community.

One of the library programs she coordinates is focused spe-

cifically on widening the perspective of community members and hearing from underrepresented groups directly.

Their cultural literacy program has allowed for individuals who identify as transgender, are DACA recipients and other minority groups to share their stories with the greater Cedar Falls community.

Cornick, a youth services librarian, discussed a new program at her library that attempted to create comfortable and inviting movie experiences

for youth who are sensitive to high levels of stimulation.

“Many children on the autistic spectrum experience sensitivity to stimulating and overwhelming environments,” she said. “Our goal is to provide a movie experience which allows for wiggle room, fidgeting, and quiet rooms for youth to decompress.”

Community programming and services are a large part of what both Cornick and Bamford-Love do in their positions, but Lowe says as a com-

munity college librarian, a lot of his work is focused on helping assist with research and providing other tools essential to academia.

The three agreed that the difference between having a Master’s in Library Science (MLS) or not having an MLS depends on the environment in which you are working.

In small libraries, for example, there is not much of a difference between MLS and non-MLS librarians because in smaller teams, individuals take on a wider variety of tasks.

In bigger libraries, positions become more specialized.

However, for Lowe, Cornick and Bamford-Love, not having an MLS hasn’t proven to be much of a barrier to their success. According to Cornick, it really depends on what you want to do as a librarian. MLS librarians usually do more of the managerial and technical work associated with libraries, while specialized librarians can work in anything from circulation to youth programming.

The alumni suggested that the best way to find your path as a librarian is to get involved — either through part-time positions or internships.

“The Iowa library system is very well connected,” Lowe said. He explained that for students entering library science, Iowa libraries provide great opportunities to get references and make connections.

Local Food and Film Festival held at Hearst Center ALEX JOHNSON Staff Writer

On Saturday, March 7, the UNI Center for Energy and Environmental Education (CEEE) co-hosted the Local Food and Film Festival. The event was held in Hearst Center for the Arts and was free and open to the public.

Attendees of the Local Food and Film Festival had the opportunity to attend a gardening class, eat food by local vendors and view a screening of the film “Overload: America’s Toxic Love Story.”

“Overload” is a documentary centered around a young woman named Soozie. Soozie discovers that American kids are born with synthetic toxins in their system. She then researches how this came about and what we can do to prevent exposure.

The food vendors at the Local Food and Film Festival included ARNKA Acres, Cedar Falls Food Co-op, Cedar Falls

Seed Library, Cedar Valley Farmers Markets, Deep Root Acres, Evansdale Farmers Market, FoodCorps, Garden Circle, Golden Valley Farm, Hahn Farm, Milk Box Bakery, Solstice Farm, UNI Local Food Program, WE Arose Gardens, Waterloo Urban Farmers Market and Yellow Table.

Among the non-food groups tabling at the Local Food and Film Festival was the Panther Initiative for Environmental Equity and Resilience (PIEER). According to their website, PIEER’s overall goal is “to increase awareness about issues between rural and urban Iowans that will encourage engaged populations to consider positive changes.” At the Local Food and Film Festival, PIEER undergraduate and graduate students handed out safe, chemical-free samples to visitors.

PIEER graduate student coordinator Deanna Williams said that the Local Food and Film Festival was important

to their organization because “One of our big topics that we discuss is toxic exposures.

So, we’ve just been educating people about all of the different toxins that are found in a lot of the products we use on a daily basis, like toothpaste, shampoos, lotions, conditioners and things like that.”

The CEEE, according to their website, offers “technical assistance, educational programs, and leadership in energy conservation and renewable energy, environmental conservation and community-based agriculture.” Good Neighbor is an organization centered within CEEE that focuses on community education about the harmful effects of pesticides.

Leah Boyle, a junior studying Environmental Science and Biology and student fellow at Good Neighbor Iowa, explained the importance of the Local Food and Film Festival.

“This whole event is just

WILL LAFOE/Northern Iowan

about local food and how it’s created,” Boyle said. According to Good Neighbor’s website, pesticides have been associated with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, brain and kidney cancers.

The website states, “You can demonstrate to your community that creating healthy lawns without herbicides is practical, saves money, protects children, provides pollinator habitat, and protects Iowa’s streams.”

Through this event, CEEE and Good Neighbor hoped to promote local vendors, due

to their dedication to pesticide-free farming.

“A lot of these farmers are organic farmers and they don’t use pesticides,” Boyle said.

To learn more about Good Neighbor, visit their webpage at https://goodneighboriowa.org/. Information on the Center for Energy and Environmental Education can be found at https://ceee. uni.edu/. For more information about PIEER, visit their Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/PIEERUNI.

PAGE 6

SPORTS MARCH 9, 2020 |

WRESTLING

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 42

Panthers finish third in Big 12 Championships NICHOLAS SCHINDLER Sports Writer

Over the weekend, the Northern Iowa Panthers Wrestling team traveled down to Tulsa, Ok., to compete in the Big 12 Conference Championship.

Oklahoma State was heavily favored going into the tournament, but both Iowa State and UNI had a chance to pull off the upset. Going into the conference tournament, UNI was 6-2 in conference play. Over the weekend the Panthers were able to finish 3rd. UNI was led by four wrestlers that advanced to the semifinals on Sunday to earn a 3rd place team finish: Bryce Steiert, Taylor Lujan, Max Thomsen, and Michael Blockhus.

On the individual level, the Panthers performed well

enough to be in contention for the Big 12 title. In the 184-weight class, Taylor Lujan was second overall receiving 15 team points for UNI. In the 174-weight class, Bryce Steirt also finished second overall and received 18 points for the team. Max Thomsen in the 149-weight class finished sixth overall, and scored 9 team points for the team. Lastly, Michael Blockhus 141-weight class also finished sixth overall and received 8 points. Two-time NCAA qualifier Jay Schwarm 125 weight class fell in his opening round; he was able to finish fourth overall and get 14.5 team points.

In the end, Oklahoma State was the Big 12 Conference Tournament Champions and Iowa State came in a distant second, and with UNI finish-

Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics

ing in a close third.

Aside from competing for conference titles, the tournament also serves as a way for individuals to qualify for the NCAA national championship field which then turns to all individual competitions.

After Sunday, the Panthers

have five wrestlers advancing to the NCAA championship field. Among the five are Jay Schwarm, Bryce Steiert, Taylor Lujan, Max Thomsen, and Michael Blockhus. The individual national championship tournament will be held March 21 through the 23.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

UNI defeats Drake, looks ahead to MVC tourney BRIELLE KIEWIET Sports Writer

The UNI women’s basketball defeated in-state rivals Drake University 91-78 in the McLeod Center for their last game of the regular season on Friday, March 6. The game honored Panther seniors and marked the team’s first win over the Bulldogs since 2016.

UNI’s offense was led

by Kam Finley early on in the game, where she built a 7-0 lead for the team. The Panthers continued their strong play and maintained the lead 44-35 at the break, tallying 18 points from

TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan

Finley. Karli Rucker added 11 points.

An 8-0 run to start the third quarter gave the Panthers the 52-39 lead. The team was up 62-49 at the end of the third quarter and held the lead throughout the entire second half, securing the 13 point win. Finley recorded a career high 28 points on the game, crushing her previous high of 20 points after shooting a three with 6:42 remaining in the game.

Panther seniors Rose Simon-Ressler, Heidi Hillyard, Abby Gerrits and Kristina Cavey were all celebrated at Friday night’s game.

All of the seniors have played in at least 27 of the 28 games this season.

The team is now 18-11 overall, 10-8 in the MVC, and 11-2 at home. The win over the Bulldogs marks the first time in school history that UNI has defeated Iowa, Iowa State, and Drake in the same season.

Now, the Panthers prepare for the MVC tournament, where they enter as fifth seed and take on Illinois State.

Tournament play will begin for the Panthers on Friday, March 13 with the championship game taking place on Sunday, March 15.

SOFTBALL

UNI drops four of five in Northern Colorado tournament PATRICK HANSEN

Sports Writer

This past weekend, The UNI Panthers softball team made the trip out to Greely, Co., for a weekend of competition, playing five games.

On day one of the tournament, the Purple and Gold started out the weekend facing off with NebraskaOmaha. The Panthers started off the game fast in the top of the first inning, with Hannah Kelley picking up a double, followed by Adara Opiola getting hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with just one out in the inning. Ashley Chesser came through with a double of her own, bringing in Hannah Kelley to take the 1-0 lead, before transitioning to defense.

Jaclyn Spencer stepped in the circle for the start of the game and grabbed a strikeout in the game. However, Nebraska-Omaha compiled six runs over five innings and held the UNI offense to just one run in game one.

In game two, The Panthers faced Utah Valley in a game which started off with no scoring through the first three innings. Utah Valley started the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, giving them the 3-0 lead. The Purple and Gold were unable to crack any runs onto the scoreboard as Utah Valley finished off the game with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take down UNI, 9-0.

On day two of the tournament, UNI started off the day playing the host, Northern

Colorado. The Panthers were behind by three runs in the fourth inning before Adara Opiola hit a solo homerun to bring the score to 3-1.

Northern Colorado was able to get one more run in to drive the score to 4-1, but a late seventh inning rally gave the Panthers the 4-2 loss as Ashley Chesser hit a solo homerun to close out the game.

In game two, the Panthers looked to get revenge on Nebraska-Omaha as they started out strong with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a solo homerun from Sammey Bunch. Despite the strong start, the Panthers were unable to get back on the board as Nebraska-Omaha grabbed three runs in the top of the fifth. The Panthers

were unable to respond and fell 3-1.

The fifth and final game of the weekend had UNI against Utah Valley in a rematch on Sunday morning.

The Panthers were able to hold off any sort of offensive attack from the Wolverines as their only run would come in the seventh inning of play.

Northern Iowa would get one run in the third off of a Sammey Bunch solo home run and three more in the fifth, coming from a Adara Opiola two-run homer and a run scored off of a Utah Valley error. The Panthers would close out the final game of the weekend with a 4-1 victory.

The Panther women will travel to Evansville for a weekend series against the Purple Aces from March

TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan

14-15 for their next slate of games. They now sit at 7-14 overall on the season.

SIERRA STEEN

PAGE 7

FUN & GAMES

Managing Editor

KARLA DE BRUIN

Associate Managing Editor

MARCH 9, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

SUDOKU ONE

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VOLUME 116, ISSUE 42

SUDOKU TWO

De-stress with some coloring!

CROSSWORD

29 Prez on a fiver 30 “Cream of ” concoction 31 Lonely place, so they say 35 Former 37 Part of rpm 39 Actress Russo 40 Bury 43 Frontier lawman Wyatt 46 HBO rival, briefly 47 French luxury retailer since 1854 50 Gives a hand 53 Celebrity socialite 54 One who stirs the pot 55 Former flier 57 “Live” sign 59 2011 Dolly Parton single, and what homophonically happens twice in 16-, 27- and 47-Across 16 Citrus drink in a sea 63 Night before Across 64 Most authentic 1 __-been: washed-up breeze cocktail 19 Philosopher 65 Generation __ celeb 66 “Lust for Life” singer 4 Shared again, as a story Kierkegaard Lana __ Rey 10 Samantha Bee’s net- 20 Dawn goddess 67 How theater seating is 21 Bridal veil trim work 13 Frequently found in 22 Packed in a slatted box arranged 68 Hurricane center 25 Like bath mats poetry?

27 Frivolous legal entan14 One with a hunger glement 15 Go bad

Down 1 Keeps to oneself 2 Early form of Latin jazz 3 Like the most twinkly sky 4 Boxing official 5 Musician’s asset 6 “Can’t deny that” 7 They might bring you to tears 8 Releases from a cage 9 Basketball’s Erving, familiarly 10 Dry run 11 Italian lawn bowling game 12 Pricey 14 Gossipy sorts 17 Podded plants 18 Coat named for an Irish province 23 “Music for Airports” producer Brian 24 Bra spec 26 Med. research agency 27 Tough spot to self-trim hair 28 Olympic swords 32 Simulated launch site 33 Taking a vacation, Brit-style 34 Lowly worker 36 English “L’chaim!”

38 Sitar master Shankar 41 Jan. and Feb. 42 Words introducing a plot twist 44 Road groove 45 Hit the buffet in a major way, say 48 “Scout’s honor!”

49 Singer Turner 50 Played a part 51 Push roughly 52 Jason of “How I Met Your Mother” 56 Guthrie of folk 58 Like avocados ready for guacamole 60 Bi- plus one 61 Tree with elastic wood 62 WWII spy gp.

Puzzle answers on page 8

PAGE 8

SIERRA STEEN

MARCH 9, 2020 |

CLASSIFIEDS NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

Managing Editor

KARLA DE BRUIN

Associate Managing Editor

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 42

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SUDOKU ONE

Puzzle answers SUDOKU TWO

CROSSWORD